


if i ever get the nerve to ask (wasn't expecting that)

by johnnlaurenss



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 01:16:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11430132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnnlaurenss/pseuds/johnnlaurenss
Summary: Grantaire is cleaning when it happens.*In which Grantaire makes discoveries, Enjolras says it's not what it looks like, and it all works out in the end.





	if i ever get the nerve to ask (wasn't expecting that)

 

Grantaire is cleaning when it happens.

He _never_ cleans, which is why it's ironic. He's a notoriously known messy person; messy room, messy paints, messy hair. But ever since he and Enjolras moved in together - hell, ever since they started _dating_ \- Grantaire has been making an effort. A 'capital-E' Effort. He combs his hair more often. He actually does laundry. He keeps his paints confined to his studio and leaves the mess in there. He actually puts plates in the sink.

Strides, he tells himself.

Anyway. He's cleaning.

He's reorganizing their dresser because Enjolras just bought them both a fuckton of new clothes since he has a fancy new job that comes with a nicer paycheck and a stricter dress code. Grantaire had encouraged him at first. That was when he thought Enjolras was just buying clothes for himself.

Grantaire's no fool, he wasn't going to tell Enjolras to not buy lovely suits and button ups and clothes that are so delightfully wonderful for Grantaire to help him take off at the end of the night.

But then Enjolras came back with bags full of clothes for Grantaire, too.

It was starting to get ridiculous.

Anyway, he was clearing out space to make room for their new wardrobe. They've got a lot of old clothes in there, t-shirts they've been too lazy to throw out or sweats that are nice to wear when Grantaire is painting and doesn't want to out on jeans.

Grantaire stops sifting through the clothes when he notices the shirt.

It's Grantaire's oldest shirt, and they'll never throw it out, no matter how old or worn it gets. It's from his high school days; a ratty old thing with a faded logo that honestly doesn't fit quite as well since he's he's no longer a scrawny fifteen year old.

He's still never gonna throw it out.

In the t-shirt's golden days, it had been an advertisement for the high school's newest club, an LBGT+ association that had been started by a kid who was only a few months older than Grantaire. This said teenager and his two best friends were trying to get people interested in their club when Grantaire had walked by and suddenly got smacked in the face by a t-shirt.

Enjolras had tried to throw it at some asswipe making homophobic comments.

Grantaire's just glad his aim has improved over the years.

That t-shirt was his favorite shirt for years.

It led him to the love of his life.

He's still holding it and smiling at it like a fool when he notices the red velvet box in the corner of the drawer.

Oh.

_Oh._

"Holy Christ," Grantaire whispers.

*

He's holding the box in his hands when Enjolras comes home.

"Okay, I know you told me not to buy anymore clothes, but this shirt literally says 'Gay AF' and I couldn't resist-" Enjolras's voice drops off when he comes into the room and catches sight of Grantaire sitting on the ground surrounded by old clothes and holding a velvet box in his hands. "Oh."

His face pales and swallows thickly and he stares at Grantaire in silent terror but Grantaire is frozen, stuck in the same spot he'd been in when he'd first found the box, picked it up and practically collapsed on the ground.

Grantaire is still in shock.

"Oh, _hell_ , R, it's not what it looks like, you weren't supposed to find that oh my god, why-" Enjolras is rambling. His face is bright red and he's flustered and his eyes are wide and Grantaire is painfully in love with him but Grantaire's also on the verge of a _panic attack_ , so.

He holds up a hand, and Enjolras trails off.

He swallows. "Not what it looks like?" he says weakly. He thinks he might try to laugh but who can really tell?

Enjolras bites his lip. He sets down the bag he is holding and gingerly sits down in front of Grantaire. He doesn't put up a fight when Enjolras reaches forward and takes the box out of his hands; he's too surprised to do anything.

"I want you to listen carefully to me," Enjolras murmurs. He slips his hands into Grantaire's. "I love you. I love you so much. And I want to marry you, _so bad_ it physically hurts me sometimes. But this - it's a family heirloom. All I've got left to my name. It was my grandfather's wedding ring, and he gave it to me before he died."

Grantaire's mouth clamps shut.

Enjolras smiles sadly. His fingers are tracing patterns along Grantaire's. "He pressed it into my hand and said, 'Enj, I hope one day you have the courage to give this to the young man you want to spend the rest of your life with, since I lacked that bravery in myself.' My grandfather knew. Before I even did. He was the only person who I knew would support me regardless, and then he died. This was all I had left of him, and I lost it. For years. Then I finally found it again. And I kept it, I kept it close and left it here, because. Well."

Grantaire smiles and squeezes his hand. "Because you _want to marry me_ ," he teases. He's laughing again, still borderline hysteric but he's crying too and his heart is bursting. "This is one hell of a proposal, E."

"It doesn't have to be," Enjolras whispers. "We've barely talked about it. And I wanted it to be special. So this doesn't have to be, yet."

Grantaire leans forward and kisses Enjolras. It's like coming home again and again, every time their lips touch. Grantaire loves him desperately.

"For the record," he says, between kisses. "When you do ask, I'll say yes."

Enjolras grins.

"I know."

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
He does, months later. He says yes before Enjolras can even pull out the ring and get down on his knee.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on [tumblr](https://feuillyys.tumblr.com) crying abt les mis or on [twitter](https://twitter.com/tannscotts) posting about various things.
> 
>  
> 
> comment, kudos, bookmark below!


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